Bayless Elementary, Lindbergh High Named National Schools of Character

After a lengthy selection process, and Lindbergh High School have been named 2011 National Schools of Character by the Character Education Partnership (CEP). Crestwood Elementary in the Lindbergh School District also received this recognition.

“As you can imagine, we are so very proud!” said Bayless Elementary Principal Gina Siebe in a press release.

This year, only 43 schools and one school district around the county received the award from the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit. Fifteen of these were from Missouri.

“Schools of character are places that bring out the best in everyone--students, staff, and even parents and community members,” said National School of Character Director Lara Maupin in a press release. “This year, a record number of schools demonstrated school cultures that enable all their students to thrive socially and academically. These schools went through a very rigorous evaluation process, and we are thrilled to recognize their achievements and tell their stories.”

CEP promotes the structured teaching of honesty, respect, cooperation, safety, responsibility and other positive character traits at school in the classroom.

The Bayless School District has been practicing character education for seven years. Last year, the elementary school was a national finalist and has been honored at the state level for the last three years.

“We wanted our children to learn some core basic values to support the values they were learning at home,” Siebe said in a previous interview. “We started off small and started working toward including more and more pieces of character education into our curriculum, including lessons.”

Bayless Elementary students participate in service learning projects and volunteer at nursing homes around the community. Other parts of the character education curriculum focus on conflict resolution and reducing bullying.

 “Our elementary school certainly deserves it,” Bayless Superintendent Maureen Clancy-May said when the school was named a finalist in March.

was named a National School of Character in 2009. In the Lindbergh School District, Sappington, Long and Kennerly elementary schools have all previously been named National Schools of Character.

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